Grand Finale

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September 24, 2013

The expelled outer layers of a dying star glow brightly in this true-color view of M27, the Dumbbell Nebula. Ultraviolet radiation from the star's hot, dead core energizes the surrounding gas. Over time the gas will dissipate, leaving only the core, known as a white dwarf. The nebula is about 1,360 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula, the fox. [Bill Schoening/NOAO/AURA/NSF]